County shelter saves 35 more dogs

May 22, 2012 09:37 pm

Shelter Supervisor Catherine Powers delivers rescued dogs to the county shelter on Sunday. The Pilot/Valliant Corley

GOLD BEACH – The Curry County Animal Shelter on Sunday received its third shipment of dogs from California shelters in the past two months, this time saving 35 from a death sentence, said Shelter Supervisor Catherine Powers.

“Del Norte shelter took six,” Powers said Tuesday. “On the bus there were 85 dogs rescued from death row, headed all the way up to Washington.”

Powers said volunteers met the bus in Cave Junction on Sunday and they arrived at the shelter in Gold Beach on Sunday afternoon.

More than a dozen volunteers were on hand to wash the dogs, give them collars and spend time with them.

Veterinarian Jan Hammer, of Town and Country Animal Clinic, evaluated the dogs and did minor medical procedures. Several dogs were adopted within an hour of their arrival in Gold Beach.

The dogs were waiting to be killed at shelters in Ventura and Merced, Powers said.

“It took two days to get to Cave Junction,” she said. “By the time the rest of the dogs got to Washington, they were on a long journey.”

“We have a bunch of Chihuahuas, but they are small and don’t take up much room,” Powers said.

She said a mother dog arrived with five small puppies. The mother has a knee injury.

“She and her babies are going to Eugene or Portland to get care,” Powers said.

Pennies for Pooches, the fund-raising organization for the shelter, is paying expenses for the dogs.